NIEMAND SHINES FOR EASTERN CAPE
Jason Niemand was in staggering form as he notched up 168 runs from 282 balls as he led Eastern Cape Iinyathi to a first innings score of 349 on the second day of their CSA Four-Day Series match against Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers at Buffalo Park on Friday.
The Badgers, who put up 165 runs in their first innings, were on 97 for two in their second innings. They trail Eastern Cape Iinyathi by 87 runs with eight wickets in hand.
Niemand, who scored 48 per cent of Eastern Cape Iinyathi's total, struck 27 fours on his way to a new career-best first-class score. The 24-year-old's previous first-class high score was 165.
The Badgers' bowling attack made light work of the rest of Eastern Cape Iinyathi's batting lineup. Besides Niemand, Nonelela Yikha and Jade de Klerk were the only two batters to score runs of substance.
Jason Niemand started the day on 56 from 124 deliveries in the company of fellow overnight traveller, Jerry Nqolo. The pair picked up from where they left off on day one as their third-wicket partnership saw Eastern Cape Iinyathi cruise past the Badgers' first-innings score.
The pair accumulated 73 runs in 24.3 overs. Their fruitful partnership was broken when Nqolo was caught at third slip by Matthew Christensen after he edged an Onke Nyaku delivery.
Niemand brought up his third first-class century with a reverse sweep played to backward point for a single. Niemand's knock from 50 to 100 was appreciably faster than his knock from one to 50.
He looked more comfortable and it took him less than 70 balls to bring up his second 50, compared to the 124 deliveries he needed for the first one on day one.
Niemand's captain, Marco Marais, did not enjoy a fruitful outing. The 29-year-old hit Eastern Cape Iinyathi's first six of the innings but did not do much afterwards.
Despite facing 17 more deliveries than his captain, Thomas Kaber was dismissed for the same number of runs as Marais. Kaber, who survived the last 30 minutes before lunch, departed almost immediately after the break.
Following the three-wicket collapse, Niemand combined with Jade de Klerk to construct a 79-run seventh-wicket partnership that further extended the home side's lead.
The partnership was broken in the 97th over when Niemand was dismissed by Pheko Moletsane.
With Niemand no longer in the picture, the Badgers made light work of the rest of the batters. The Badgers needed only 3.1 overs to sweep the tail. Only Jade de Klerk offered resistance. The 24-year-old faced 74 deliveries for his 47 runs.
Pheko Moletsane was the pick of the bowlers for the Badgers. The 21-year-old took three wickets for 59 runs in 18 overs. Onke Nyaku and Basheeru-Deen Walters took two wickets each.
Matthew Christensen's poor run with the bat persisted as the 26-year-old fell for another single-digit score.
The opener fell to Gideon Peters's bowling after scoring nine runs from 24 balls. And as they did in the first innings, Blayde Capell and Jhedli van Briesies set about rebuilding the visitors' innings.
Van Briesies narrowly missed out on a maiden first-class half-century in the first innings, but was unable to replicate that performance. He fell after scoring only 14 runs this time around.
Van Briesies's erstwhile partner, Blayde Capell, was determined not to be denied the second time around. In the first innings, Capell missed out on a sixth first-class half-century by 13 runs, after playing a composed innings.
This time around, he was asked to wait a little longer as bad light stopped play while he was unbeaten on 47 from 70. His partner Andre Malan was not out on 14 from 23 balls.
Thomas Kaber was Eastern Cape Iinyathi's most successful bowler with one wicket from six overs at an economy of four runs an over. Gideon Peters also took a single wicket but had a slightly higher economy rate of 4.75 runs an over.
TUSKERS IN CONTROL AFTER DAY TWO
Half-centuries from Thamsanqa Kumalo and Cameron Shekleton put the AET Tuskers in control of their contest against Limpopo Impalas at Polokwane Cricket Club on Friday.
Kumalo's 99 and Shekleton's unbeaten 81 helped the Tuskers close the day's play on 379 runs for five as they replied to the Impalas' first innings score of 251.
After day two, the Tuskers lead the Impalas by 128 runs and have five wickets remaining.
Yaseen Valli and Thamsanqa Kumalo showed outstanding application as they continued with the patient approach they had adopted on day one. It took the pair just over an hour of day two's play for each to bring up their half-centuries.
The milestones were two balls apart, with Kumalo reaching his first. The two left-handers complemented each other well as they mounted an impressive 189-run opening partnership. Valli and Kumalo shared the crease for 70.2 overs.The opening stand was broken when Ruan Haasbroek, bowling his 19th over, deceived Valli with a delivery that beat the opener's bat to careen onto the stumps.
One wicket became two when the spinner trapped Michael Erlank lbw two balls later. Kumalo, on the other hand, was unable to maintain a 100 per cent conversion rate as he went on to fall one run short of his second first-class century. The 23-year-old missed a Morne Venter delivery and was bowled on 99.
After the two quick strikes by the Impalas, Tian Koekemoer and Cameron Shekleton rebuilt the visitors' innings by compiling a 61-run partnership.
Unfortunately for the Tuskers, that partnership did not last too long as Koekemoer was dismissed by Thomas Hobson.
Koekemoer's departure did not affect Shekleton's approach. The 23-year-old kept his cool as he made his way to a well-paced third first-class half-century.
During his march to the milestone, Shekleton was in the company of Keith Dudgeon (38) with whom he shared a 66-run fifth-wicket partnership.
Malcolm Nofal, scoring at a strike rate of 52.73, seamlessly filled the hole left by Dudgeon. At the close of play, the experienced campaigner had combined with Shekleton to construct a sturdy-looking 53-run sixth-wicket partnership.
When stumps was called, Nofal was unbeaten on 29 and Shekleton was on 81.
Ruan Haasbroek was the highest wicket-taker for Limpopo Impalas after day two. The 25-year-old spinner took two wickets from 31 overs at an economy of two runs an over. Morne Venter, Sahil Patel and Thomas Hobson took a wicket each.
COULENTIANOS KEEPS EASTERN STORM IN THE GAME
Wesley Coulentianos' well-played half-century kept Eastern Storm in the contest on day two of their CSA Four-Day Series match against Northern Cape Heat at the Diamond Oval on Friday.
Coulentianos struck 12 fours for an unbeaten 95 as he led Eastern Storm to a score of 205 for two at stumps in reply to Northern Cape Heat's first innings total of 458.
The opener was ably supported by Kabelo Sekhukhune who brought up his half-century just before play ended for the day.
Coulentianos and Sekhukhune's third-wicket partnership, which added 131 runs to the total, was exactly what the doctor ordered after Eastern Storm lost two wickets.
In his last first-class innings, Pearse scored a sensational century, 116 runs from 104 balls. The naturally attacking opener came out playing his shots against Northern Cape Heat.
Pearse looked in command of his game as he struck eight fours and a single six as he raced to a score of 47 runs from 38 deliveries. Pearse's Bazball-flavoured innings was curtailed by Ernest Kemm in the 14th over.
Kemm was at it again four overs later when he dismissed Aron Visser before the 23-year-old got his eye in.
Wesley Coulentianos adopted a different approach to his opening partner. The 29-year-old left-hander faced 125 deliveries to bring up his 29th first-class half-century.
Coulentianos's partner Kabelo Sekhukhune faced 25 more deliveries on his way to a patient eighth first-class half-century.
And he brought the milestone in fashion. Sekhukhune cut a back-of-a-length delivery by Tshepo Ntuli past the fielder at deep backward point for 4 runs.
Ernest Kemm was Northern Cape Heat's best bowler of the day with two wickets from 12 overs at an economy of 3.83 runs an over. No other Northern Cape Heat bowler took a wicket.
Earlier in the day, Kelly Smuts and Romano Terblanche tried to pick up from where they left off on the previous day. Smuts, who almost batted through the first hour of play, added 19 runs to his overnight score before he was trapped lbw by Nico van Zyl.
Smuts's dismissal seemed to signal the beginning of the end of the Heat's innings. Six overs after Smuts' dismissal, Kagiso Mohale joined him back in the hutch.
Terblanche had one eye on his 21st first-class half-century and needed tailenders Benjamin van Rensburg and Tshepo Ntuli to stick around for as long as possible.
Van Rensburg faced 34 deliveries and left the 36-year-old 11 runs shy. Ntuli survived 37 deliveries, which was still insufficient to see Terblanche to the 50-run mark. Terblanche was unbeaten on 47 when Ntuli was dismissed for a valiant 13.
Tumelo Simelane was the pick of the bowlers for Eastern Storm. The 27-year-old left-arm seamer bowled the most overs for the visitors, 43, and bagged three wickets at an economy of 2.95 runs an over.
Kabelo Sekhukhune, who bowled nine overs of spin, also took three wickets for 27 runs.